Choosing to study drama at GCSE has often been seen as a soft option by pupils. Education Reporter HAYDN LEWIS visited a York school with a drama specialism to find out if acting up really is easy.

THE days when drama was a lacklustre filler languishing at the bottom of a GCSE options choice list are long gone, according to pupils at York's Manor School - where they take acting very seriously.

I dropped in to speak to a group of drama GCSE students, who were rehearsing for a practice run of the practical part of their exam, about the results of a recent survey which rated the subject as the easiest in which to get a C grade.

Drama came out ahead of physical education, media studies, English and sociology as the easiest GCSE subject, in a list compiled by academics at Durham University.

Statistics, chemistry, physics, biology and Spanish were ranked as the hardest, based on the performance of an entire year group of 600,000 pupils in 2004.

But Manor School's head of drama, Alison Grace, refuted claims her subject was a soft option.

"It's extremely hard to get a C in drama, because the examiners expect perfection in the practical exam, and that assessment counts for 40 per cent of the total marks awarded," said Mrs Grace.

"At this school, there is a real value placed upon drama and performing arts, because drama gives youngsters the confidence in communicating which they will need in later life."

Drama students felt the same way. Catherine Schofield, 15, said: "A lot of people do just think it's a drop-out subject, but I know of people who have chosen it as a soft option and then had to drop out because they couldn't cope with the workload."

George Gardiner, 15, who wants to become a PE teacher, said: "I do drama because I love it.

"When we perform in class you have to get up in front of a group of people who give you constructive criticism, so you have got to be able to take other peoples' opinions."

James Atkinson, 15, said: "It's not all about the practical side, because the course work takes up a lot of time as well. As soon as you have done a performance you have to get on and write it up."

Emma Swanton, 16, who wants to work in films, said: "Breaking into the industry is really hard, so you have to work twice as hard as a doctor in that sense, because there are always jobs for them."

Laura Cockerill, 16, said: "To do drama, you have to have a lot going on in your brain.

"You are not just remembering lines, but where to stand on stage and the moves you have to make."

Manor School GCSE students will be performing their practical exam pieces in front of family and friends tonight at 7pm.

Updated: 10:06 Wednesday, April 05, 2006